The template is "For the Record" by Taylor Made Designs and the paper is from Vicki Stegall's Michael kit.
Journaling follows:
November 15, 2007
My son had his fifth birthday yesterday. What a celebration it was! You see, this was his first birthday with us. Last year when we celebrated, it was just Daddy, Mommy and Sydney. We had a cake and a balloon knowing that halfway around the world in China, our son was probably not celebrating his fourth birthday.
Shaun met us for the first time on April 16, 2007. He was four years and five months. He came to us after living with his foster family since he was eleven months old. We didnt know whether he would grieve for that family or not. As it turns out, he did not.
We dont know much about his foster family. The Chinese government feels that it is best that way. We did not know until we arrived in China that Shaun had a younger foster sister. We had sent disposable cameras to Shauns Social Welfare Institute to take pictures of our sons life. The day that Shaun came to us, we received the cameras back. We had them developed and in the pictures with Shaun was a beautiful, precious little girl.
The first time that Shaun saw the pictures, his voice softened and he said Bei bei. We have since received some reports from an agency here in the United States that sponsored his foster care. The report from December 15, 2005 states, He is also very protective of his younger foster sister and is a very good older brother to her. He always protects her by not letting other people tease her. Its easy for me to imagine this because I see him treat his younger sister Sydney in the same protective manner.
Shaun frequently tells us that he doesnt want to go back to mamas house, that he wants to stay here with this mommy and this daddy and this Sydney. He says, Mama was mad.
The night before his birthday he was very excited. He said, Mama not get me a cake and mama not get me presents. I tried to explain that maybe mama couldnt do those things. But then he said to me, Bei bei not get presents. Mommy and Daddy go to China and get bei bei and bring her to live with this mommy and daddy and Sydney and Shaun. She not go back to mamas house.
And my heart broke, because I dont know if Bei bei will find someone to love her and protect her the way that Shaun did. The way that she deserves. He calls her Bei
